Justin Langer, the leading player in the England coaching position; Ravi Shastri, Rahul Dravid not in race

Former Australian cricketer and coach Justin Langer poses for a photo with the Waterford Crystal trophy. (Reuters file) TimesofIndia.com in London: Former Australian opener and coach Justin Langer has emerged as the frontrunner to become England’s next Test head coach after Brendon McCullum was sacked last week.Langer is considered the best shortlisted by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). However, it remains to be seen how his commitments with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Manchester Super Giants in the hundred. There are strong indications that Langer could part ways with LSG and discussions with the ECB will develop in the coming days.TimesofIndia.com also understands that former India head coaches Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid are not in contention for the role. Although both highly respected figures were briefly linked with the vacancy, neither is part of the ECB’s current recruitment process.The ECB intends to appoint a new coach before England’s home Test series against Pakistan starts next month, with Langer firmly in pole position if contractual hurdles can be resolved.Earlier, Andy Flower, who currently coaches London Spirit in The Hundred and led Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to back-to-back IPL titles, ruled himself out of the race.Langer took over as head coach of Lucknow Super Giants in 2023 after replacing Flower. He also coaches Manchester Super Giants in The Hundred. If approached by the ECB, he will have to decide whether to accept the England role and leave his franchise commitments, remain solely in franchise cricket, or try to balance both responsibilities. Faced with a similar choice, Flower decided to continue in franchise cricket.McCullum finished his tenure as England Test coach with a record of 27 wins, two draws and 20 defeats. England’s form plummeted towards the end of his tenure, with the team losing seven of their last nine Tests. His tenure began and ended with a home series against native New Zealand. It got off to a commanding 3-0 start in 2022 and ended with a series defeat last month.“I’ve absolutely loved coaching the Test side and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together,” McCullum said after being sacked.“There have been some incredible highs and some tough days along the way, but that’s all part of accepting such a challenge. It’s been a privilege and an honor and I’m grateful for that. Thank you to the players, staff and fans who have supported us along the way.”“I wish the Test team nothing but success. There’s a hell of a lot of talent in that dressing room and they’re a special bunch of lads. I’ll always be rooting for the lads with a smile on my face and hope they keep playing. I know they’ll continue to make people proud.”